Improvement in revolving fire-arms



A. J. GIBSON.

Revolver.

Patented May 22, 18601 MPETERS. FHOTO-LITHDGRAFHEH. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES A. J. GIBSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOHNV BOYDEN, JOSEPH l". HALE, AND SAMUEL FISK, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,437, dated May 22, 1860.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, A. J. GIBSON, ot' Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ot' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanylng drawings, forming a part of this specificatlon, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal .section of a pistol constructed according to my invention, representing itin condition for use. Fig. 2 is a side view-0f the same, representing it in con-l dition for carrying in the pocket. Fig. 3 is a top vlew of the same, partly in section. Fig. 4 1s a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of :reference indicate correspending parts in the several figures.

These improvements are more especially deslgned for pocket-pistols, but are also applicable to other lire-arms. y

The iirst improvement consists in a certain mode of combining the barrel with the stock or breech frame, whereby provision is made for moving the barrel, or a portion thereof, downward to a position at a right angle, or thereabout, to the position in which the firing is eiected, for convenience ofcarryin gthe weapon inthe pocket or ot' packing away in a small space, and for locking in either position.

A second improvement consists in combining the downwardly-movable barrel, or portion thereof, with a cockin g and iirin g trigger or lever in such manner that it is rendered impossible to eect the discharge while the barrel is secured in its downward position.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention,Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is an open-sided metal frame for containing the laterally-swingin g breech-piece B. The back part of this frame constitutes the recoilplate p, andthe said frame is made in the same piece with a frame, C, which contains the lock and constitutes the principal portion of the stock.

a a are two parallel check-pieces, made in the same piece with or rigidly attached to the frame A, and projecting forward from the sides of the said frame to receive between them the barrel D, which is fitted snugly between them, and attached to them by a pivot, b, passing transversely through it below its bore and through' the said check-pieces. Upon this pivot the barrel is capable of moving downward to the position shown in Fig. 2-viz.', at a right angle to the position shown in Fig. l-which is the position for firing. The front and lower edges of the check-pieces a. a are finished off in the form of portions ot' corresponding circles described from the axis of the pivot b, andl two notches, c and d, are formed in the edge of eachlof the said checlrpiecesviz., one, c, in front, and one, d, in the bottom.

E is a flat sliding bolt, attached to the under side'of the barrel by screws e e passing through the said bolt and screwing into the barrel. When the barrel is in the position for firing, this bolt is capable of sliding into the notches cto lock it inthat position, as shown in Fig. 17 and when the barrel is moved down to the position shown in Fig. 2 the said bolt is capable oi' sliding into the notches d d to lock it in that p0- sition.V By drawing the bolt'from the notches while the barrel is -in either of the above positions it (the barrel) is left free to be moved to the other position.

F is the hammer, swinging ona pin, f, which passes through the frame C, and connected witll the mainspring G by a stirrup, g, and a lever, H, the said lever being attached to the hammer behind and below the pin f by the pin '71 which constitutes the fulcrum ot' the said lever, and the stirrup being connected by a pin, I

i, with the short rear arm of the said lever. The long front arm of the said. lever is made with a hook, j, to catch on a hook, 7c, on the trigger or lever I, by which the hammer is raised and let od', and the mainspring acts upon the said lever in such a manner as to throw down the front arm of the said lever and its hook j, as well 'as to throw forward the head of the hammer. The lever I works on a pin, l, passing through the frame C, and the downward pressure of the front arm of the lever H, acting on the hook k, tends to throw forward the lower part of the lever I, which hangs some distance below the frame C, as far as is permitted by an arm, fm, of the said lever, which is drawn into contact with the front of the frame A. The back of the hookk on the lever I is made of cam shape, so that by drawing back the lower or triggerlike portion of said lever the said hook h, alter drawing forward the lever h and throwing back the hammer, is caused to throw up the front portion ot thele. ver H, and so to raise `the hook j ot' the said lever clear of the said hook lc and leave the hammer entirely under the iuiiuence ot' the mainspring, which Vthrows forward its head and effects the firing of the charge.. On the lever I being relieved of the backward pressure of the tinger or hand the front arm of the lever H presses on the hook 7c and throws forward the lower trigger-like portion of the said lever H till thel upper arm, m, of the said lever comes in contact with the front oi' the frame A. When the barrel is brought to the position shown in Fig. 2 the bolt E bears against the front of the arm m ot' the lever I, land on the barrel being locked by the entrance of the bolt E into the notches d the said arm is firmly locked between the bolt E andthe front of the frame, and the lever I prevented being moved in any way, and therefore the hammer vcannot he moved.

The head ot' the hammer is made with two horns, na, which pass through openings in the recoil-plate. rlhis construction is intended for the use of metallic cartridges having the priming in a hollow ange at its base, and the object ot' such construction is that the hammer may strike the cartridge at two points, so that though the priming may be defective at one point it may not fail to be exploded.

The breech-piece B is in the form ,of a portion of a cylinder, and contains three chambers, o" 1' r, which are open at the rear. It is arranged to swing on a pin, q, which is parallel with the ehambers,and is provided with notches t t t, one for each chamber, to receive a springcatch, u, by which it may be locked with either chamber in line with the barrel. This form of breech-piece is not new; but it is so constructed with recesses s s in its sides, as shown in Fig. 4, and the bott-om of the frame A is so constructed that itmay swing so far out of the frame on one side, as shown in red outline in Fig. 4, as to permit the charging of all the chambers from one side of the stoclqwhile such breech-pieces, ast'ar as known to me, have been heretofore so constructed as to require one or more chambers to be charged at one side and the others at the other side of the frame A.

I do not claim broadly so constructing and applying-the barrel of a tire-arm that it may swing dowi'iward on a pivot; but

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. Combining the barrel with the breech frame or stock by means ot' a pivot, b, two doubly-notched check-pieces, a a, and a sliding bolt, E, the whole a-rran ged and operating subtantially as and for the purpose herein speci- 2. Combining the downwardly-movable barrel with the trigger or lever I or its equivalent in such manner that the said barrel may lock vthe said trigger or lever or its equivalent when it (the said barrel) is in its downward position to prevent the disch arge, substantially as herei in described.

A. J. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

APPLETON DADMUN, SILAs D. HARRINGTON. 

